The field of prescription medications is replete with dangerous, highly addictive, and potentially lethal drugs which, if not properly dosed, regulated and administered are susceptible to misuse, abuse, overdoses and toxicity which may or may not be intentional. In some situations improper dosing or an improper combination of medications may even result in death. The presence and accessibility to these medications in millions of homes presents a potentially significant safety risk to patients and other individuals who may come in contact with these medications. Drug poisoning is the second leading cause of injury-related deaths, accounting for 22,134 deaths in the United States according to a study published in 2013. Some of these deaths are the result of intentional overdose while others are the result of unintentional lethal combinations or doses of prescription medications. These overdose cases cost insurance companies approximately $72.5 billion in health care expenses each year.
Patients may also forget the appropriate schedule for taking their medication. Often, a patient may become confused or may have difficulty remembering whether or not they have taken their medication for the day, what dose they were supposed to take and whether or not the patient has individualized instructions.
Additionally, many medications, such as narcotics including opiates and their derivatives, central nervous system depressants such as benzodiazepines and stimulants such as Adderall are susceptible to abuse or black market transfers. A patient may become addicted to a controlled substance and attempt to take more than the appropriate dose prescribed by a healthcare professional or authorized individual capable of prescribing the substance. In other instances, a patient may attempt to sell controlled substances, which are only available through a prescription, to a non-prescribed individual or a non-prescribed individual may attempt to surreptitiously take drugs for themselves. Prescribed medications if not taken properly, or if taken by someone other than the prescribed patient, could result in serious physiological damage, psychological impairment and even death. Due to the vast number of prescriptions that are filled annually and the rising potential for drug abuse, there is a clear need for better medication security. Thus, a need exists for an apparatus, and a method for securely dispensing medications and other controlled substances according to a prescribed schedule and dosage using a portable, handheld container which is tamper-resistant and can withstand severe physical manipulation.